The Courage
The ''Co''ura''g''e Episode Ten, Season Three, of Cold. Enjoy <3 The Courage “Rally up!” I shouted. “Fight back to back! We can’t afford to lose anyone now.” Tigerstripe nodded and backed up until his tail was touching mine. Dawnfur and Snowbreeze smacked back the incoming waves of attackers before joining us. Brownhare was already at my side. “Where’s Minnowfur?” I yowled to Brownhare as I twisted around and dodge a blow. The brown tom ducked and sent another rogue sprawling towards me as he replied. “She’s resting in her nest!” She’s resting in her nest! I froze and the rogue landed a sticking blow on my shoulder. “What?” Brownhare hissed in pain as a rogue bit his paw and he kicked him backwards. “Minnowfur’s bleeding herself out, Storm, she’s going to die.” Dawnfur snapped her head around in disbelief. “What do you mean, ‘she’s going to die’?” The cream colored she-cat yelped. “Minnowfur can’t just die!” Brownhare sighed. “Well she’s lost too much blood, and there’s not way she’s going to survive this attack.” I narrowed my eyes as I glared at the rogues. “Murderers!” I screamed, launching myself out of our tight circle. I landed on Kitkat’s back, who shrieked in pain. “You ended up killing Minnowfur!” “I wasn’t the one who attacked her.” Kitkat panted as she threw me off. “Tessa did the deed! Then some dark gray colored rogue came and dragged her away.” “What rogue?” I snarled. “Who helped Minnowfur?” Kitkat shrugged. “Ask Tessa! I wasn’t the one who tried to murder Minnowfur!” I shoved her aside and lunged for Tessa. “You killed Minnowfur!” The ginger she-cat whirled around as I crashed into her. “It was my orders!” She yowled, struggling to get free. “I didn’t know who she was, it was just my orders! I had to obey them.” Slowly, I stepped off Tessa and Snowbreeze appeared at my side. “Calm down, Storm,” She whispered softly. “We’ll make things right.” Her tail curled around mine reassuringly, and I sighed as I leaned against her. “Those rogues are monsters. First they killed Stonekit, and now they’re going to kill Minnowfur.” Dawnfur yowled at us. “I know you’re all being lovey-dovey and all, but we don’t have time for a bit of romance! We need to drive these rogues off!” I glared at her and draped my tail across Snowbreeze’s flank before I turned back to the fray. I spotted Kitkat conversing with Frosty and I glared at them. “They’ll pay.” ~ Her pelt was covered in the small snowflakes of snow, and she stared at Storm. “She’s so brave.” She whispered softly to herself. “More than I’ll ever be.” Her dull blue eyes stared at the battlefield, and she stared at the small body of Stonekit’s next to hers. She could already see the small kit’s expression as he saw her, hidden in a bush, his jaws widening in a pleading yowl before Kitkat ended it all. Was she a coward now? “I used to be so head strong and full of leadership.” She whispered again. “But now... Storm’s the real leader.” She stared at the battle, her paws carrying her towards the battlefield. You have to help them! Her inner self yelled at her. You can’t just let them die while they’re defending your legacy and the kits! But she stopped herself. “I can’t go yet.” Her voice carried across in the wind. “But I’ll be here when it’s time.” ~ “Dawnfur, go get reinforcements, we can’t hold up any longer!” I growled, pushing her towards the log bridge. “Hurry, everyone will die here if we don’t defeat these rogues!” The cream colored she-cat nodded and the turned to run, but three more rogues blocked her path. “Storm, there’s no way we can get out of here. They have this place guarded carefully so we can’t get help.” I hissed in frustration and smacked another rogue back. “We have to do something. There’s no way I’m going to let those queens and kits die while we’re here.” Snowbreeze was fighting next to me, her pelt brushing against mine. “Well, we have to do something though.” She mewed, her eyes fierce. “I’m with Storm. We have to work out a plan.” Brownhare nodded grimly. “There’s no way we’ll get out of this island like this. We just have to hope that someone outside of the island will go get help.” “What do you mean?” Tigerstripe growled. “We should just fight our way through for Dawnfur and let her go through!” I shook my head firmly. “No, if we do that, then-” I was bowled over by another tom and I yowled. “We can’t abandon everyone on this island!” Everyone nodded and returned to the fighting. The rogues continued to push forward, their numbers increasing as more and more rogues joined the fight on the island. “If they’re so many rogues coming here, then some of the Clan cats must see the problem and come over!” I reasoned as I tried to regain my balance. Snowbreeze pulled me back up, her claws fending off the rogues that were piling on me. “Thanks.” I panted, feeling a bit dizzy. She nodded quickly, her eyes straying from the rogues to me, then she whirled away to help the others. There’s no way we’re going to be able to hold off so many rogues. I thought grimly, my claws digging into the soft island earth. We need to somehow ask for help! I looked up, and saw a dark gray pelt flash away. I frowned, but I dismissed it, thinking it was some rogue fleeing away. I have to keep going, for Minnowfur, for Snowbreeze, for the others. ~ She’s in danger! A cry rang through the air as the she-cat flinched, seeing Storm’s gaze rise to meet hers. Afraid of being recognized, she turned and bolted away from the scene, her dark gray tail flagging out behind her. I can help in this battle in one way. She thought. I have to go get some reinforcements! The screams of the dying cats down at the island pierce the air, and the she-cat flinched again, her ears flattening. I have to be strong for them! She continued her fled towards the edge of the island, the idea of swimming making her shiver. She plunged into the icy cold water, her teeth chattering. There’s no time to think about all those hard escapes, it’s time to move! She berated herself, ducking to avoid a rogue’s sweeping gaze. Dragging herself out onto RiverClan territory, she found a group of cats beating off the last of the rogues. She pulled the last one off Flameheart and hissed in his ear. “Dawnfur is in danger; take as many cats as you dare to help them on the island.” Then she was gone, fading back into the shadows. ~ I gritted my teeth as pace laced through me again. “Storm, watch out!” I heard Snowbreeze’s frantic shriek as Brownhare yowled the warning. Whirling around, I saw the irrepressible lines of the rogue group that Frosty and Ktikat had created. Then I saw the blur of colors that must have been the rogue attacking me. I shrunk back, hunching over and ready to feel the claws dig in. This was it. Then an orange blob of fur flashed before my eyes, almost as if I was yanked out of Death’s grasp. “Tessa!” I heard Kitkat’s growl. “I knew you always hated the rogue group anyways.” The orange rogue, who had led to Minnowfur’s death, had successfully stopped my demise. Tessa glared back at Kitkat, then snarled as she crashed into the brown and white she-cat. “I didn’t hate the rogue group, I just realized how brutal we were, and how civilized the Clan cats were.” “So you hate us now.” Kitkat sighed, “Why couldn’t you just say that?” Snowbreeze helped me up and we both turned to face Tessa. “You saved me.” I mewed simply. “Yes, I did.” “Why?” The orange she-cat kicked Kitkat away and shrugged, “Well, if I’m going to help the Clans, I have to help their leader don’t I?” I laughed, “I’m no leader.” But Snowbreeze and Brownhare’s gazes made me feel self-conscious. “Well I don’t feel like a leader.” I countered, glaring back at them. Tessa managed a purr and she turned around to continue fighting. The rest of us did the same. I lunged for Frosty, my claws dislodging her from the other cat she was fighting. “You and I aren’t finished yet.” I growled in her ear. She hissed and nodded, “You’re right, I need to finish you off once and for all.” I dodged her next blow, and flattened my ears. “I abhor such cruelty in killing.” I snarled, “And you’re doing just that thing.” Frosty let out a snort, “And you think you can beat me in a fight?” I shrug, my eyes glinting, “It’s always worth the try.” She dove for my paws, and I clawed her back. It went back and forth, until a dark gray blur flashed before my eyes. “Quickly, Storm, let’s finish her off and Flameheart will be here with the reinforcements. We’ll be able to defeat these rogues once and for all!” The dark gray she-cat growled. I didn’t even question who it was, it was a voice I heard many times before, and I was accustomed to following her instructions. We both drove Frosty back, sending her fleeing to the edge of the island. Then the reinforcements came. In no time, we drove off the rogues, and everything was back to normal, all except the loss of our friends. Then suddenly, I realized who had been ordering me around during the battle the entire time. I whirled around, and saw the dark gray she-cat backing up, as if she didn’t want to be seen, but many cats were already staring at her. I know you, you’re dead. “S-shade?” The End. Category:Cchen3's Fanfics Category:Cold